Investigates teacher-student conferences' influence on first graders' revision activity and knowledge about revision. Finds the most positive effects occurred for students who began with the least amount of knowledge about revision, who previously were doing the least amount of revision, and who were writing pieces judged among the lowest in…

Reviews nine studies in the area of audience awareness and social cognition. Notes that these studies provide an interesting, though extremely incomplete, picture of the relationship between social-cognitive abilities and writing performance. (MG)

States that scientific journal article introductions usually open with standard moves that introduce the community to new findings in specific literature. Presents a study in which 4 articles on chaos theory were analyzed--then 12 scientists were asked to think aloud while reading them. Emphasizes that scientific readers reacted differently.…

Explains that analysis of leading ideas in 20th century engineering writing textbooks and other primary sources demonstrates that disciplinary discourse conventions develop from an intricate nexus of human motivations, beliefs, and social activity. Explores currents in American social and intellectual history that explain this complex view of…

Investigates effects of training for peer response in freshman composition classes during one semester. States that students in the experimental group were trained via teacher-student conferences where teachers met with students to practice peer response strategies, while students in the control group received no systematic training. Finds that…